Mermen Tales
by CrowNoYami
Summary: Fishing wasn't a pastime Gabriel ever expected to appreciate. However, as he was just starting to enjoy himself on his little canoe, a pod of orca decided to play. Now mysteriously washed ashore on an island, Gabriel struggles to survive. When gifts start to appear in the form of food and fresh water, Gabriel seeks out his savior, but does he believe what he sees when they meet?
1. Prologue

**Summary** : Fishing wasn't a pastime Gabriel ever expected to appreciate. However, as he was just starting to enjoy himself on his little canoe, a pod of orca decides to play. Now mysteriously washed ashore on an island, Gabriel struggles to survive. When gifts start to appear in the form of food and fresh water, Gabriel seeks out his savior, but does he believe what he sees when they finally meet? And can Gabriel find a way back home?

In a world that never changes Sam finds himself fascinated with humans. While not forbidden, Sam knows the danger they pose and swears to only observe. Up until he notices a pod of orca playing with one. As the human starts to sleep atop his boat, Sam can't just watch the human die. Revealing himself was never part of the plan, nor the consequences that come with it.

 **Warnings** **:** Merman Sam, Human Gabriel, Minor Character Death, Anal Sex, Interspecies Sex, Hand Jobs, Oral Sex, Fishing, Mating Bonds, Rimming, Anal Fingering, Angst with a Happy Ending, M-Preg Mentions, Transformation.

 **Prologue**

Setting his reel down in the harness on the side of his small canoe, Gabriel relaxed. He could lean back enough to put his hands behind his head, staring up into the blue sky while waiting for his line to tighten with a bite. He had been out fishing for nearly an hour now, enjoying the last of the summer before he had to leave and go back into the city. His vacation was almost at a close, and soon the dreary world of business would consume him again until next summer when he would be able to return for a couple of weeks and enjoy sitting back and relaxing for a few hours a day.

Overall it wasn't a bad life to live; he had enough money in the bank to be able to afford a few weeks off each year and a comfortable apartment. He wasn't going to ever make CEO, but he could hold his own when it came to the stock market and helping rich people stay rich. It was a thankless job, all the praise of Wall Street going to those in higher management, but it was something he could do to keep his mind off things.

Being the only one left of what was once a large family was something he worked hard to forget each day. Coming home exhausted to his empty apartment with only a handful of friends to keep him company when the loneliness threatened to consume him wasn't why he initially got into the business. He had hoped once, a long time ago, that he would be able to earn enough money to bring his family out of the hole they were living in and to find a partner to keep his bed warm at night.

Then the fire happened. Gabriel arranged a small reunion of siblings and their parents, but he was late to the function, his tardiness saving his life. The building his family had been gathered in went up in flames. The fire chief later explained that his brother, Michael, had pissed someone off enough that the building was rigged to blow, and though they hadn't exploded the entire structure they did manage to destroy the only way out as the flames climbed higher. His family was dead in thirty minutes, leaving Gabriel as the last to carry their line and with no support besides the few friends he met at work.

Startled out of his thoughts by a jerk of his rod, Gabriel quickly started to reel in his catch. It took a lot of effort, and by the time he was done, the blond man leaned over the side of the boat to catch a glimpse of his prize. Squealing in surprise, he quickly cut the line, letting the eel swim free and hoping that the hook would eventually come out of the creature. Fish he could handle; eels were another thing entirely. Shivering, Gabriel sighed before opening his tackle box and stringing a new hook.

He didn't have the chance to cast his line when something caught his attention. Out maybe a hundred yards from him, was a steady spray of water followed by large splashes and the tell-tale sound of large marine mammals. As one of the giant creatures breached the water, he gasped in both fear and delight. Orcas. While Gabriel had seen the giant dolphins in captivity, it was something else to see them in their natural habitat. All too soon the ten, six-ton mammals were only a few feet away.

Sitting up in his boat, Gabriel slipped his life-vest on quickly. Though he didn't think the animals were out to get him, even with the canoe he was a heck of a lot smaller than them, and one breach could have him knocked into the water. The pod circled him a few times, each time getting a bit closer. He wished he could reach out and touch the animals, but Gabriel kept his limbs inside the metal canoe. After an hour of watching the orcas play, Gabriel began to relax. Though they were getting close and occasionally bumped into the metal frame, the creatures seemed more curious than anything else, and the fear which had been building at the pit of his stomach started to ebb away.

Laughing as one of the smaller orcas swam under the boat, Gabriel leaned over to watch as the mammal came out from the other side. He should have been paying attention. The weight of his body was enough that, with a bump, one of the other large dolphins was able to nudge the canoe off balance. It happened in seconds. One moment he was watching the orca play and the next he was in the water. Not wanting to drown, Gabriel sputtered and frantically waved his arms in the cold ocean, trying to stay afloat. He was suddenly well aware that the creatures he had been admiring took down prey far tougher than him on a daily basis.

Panic started to spread, and Gabriel grasped at the side of the canoe, hopeful to get out of the water. The orcas bumped his legs, and though he didn't feel their teeth dig into his flesh he knew the danger they presented. Grasping the hull, Gabriel clawed and scrambled until his fingers caught along the keel and pulled. His body was near done, but the fear of what was swimming around him waiting for him to give up gave him the last boost he needed to pull himself out of the water.

Climbing until he was laying on the capsized canoe, Gabriel panted from the effort it took to get out of the ocean. With each pass of the orcas, he feared that his relative safety would once again end up in the water, and with the way his legs and arms were protesting no amount of fear was going to help him back onto the boat if that happened. Thankfully a call from farther out to sea was heard and the orcas, as one, left. With shallow breaths, Gabriel tried to think of anything that could help him ashore. He didn't paddle that far out, but it was too far to swim, and he had no way of knowing if there was something more dangerous than a pod of orcas nearby.

Carefully placing his body to disperse his weight as not to lose what buoyancy he had, Gabriel closed his eyes for only a moment, trying to gather the energy to think. His moment of rest turned into several hours because when he next opened his eyes, Gabriel was blinking into the rising sun. Jerking his head around to try and spot anything he could recognize, the blond wondered just how far he drifted through the night. What he saw gave him a sense of renewed hope. There was land. It wasn't a beach filled with people or a dock where he might be able to get help, but it was land, and it was beautiful.

Waiting for the canoe to follow the gentle waves rolling up on the beach it didn't take long for Gabriel to realize that instead of getting closer he was getting farther away. His arms were tired. Even with the sleep he managed to snag through the night, his whole body protested every move he made. There was no way of knowing if something lurked in the shallow water waiting for him to leave his boat, nor could he tell just exactly how far the land was away; though it may appear close enough to swim to, out in the ocean perception could be deceiving.

When a giant wave rocked him that much farther from the safety of the shore Gabriel knew he didn't have a choice. Taking off his shoes that were all but ruined anyway, Gabriel removed the life-jacket that was nothing more than dead weight around his neck. Soon Gabriel was sliding into the freezing water he had been fighting against hours before. Keeping his movements as smooth as possible as not to alert anything to his presence the blond swam towards the sandy beach he prayed to reach. It was hard; his body had all but given up on him. He needed fresh water and something to eat, having only had breakfast the day before.

When he finally reached the beach, Gabriel nearly cried in relief as the small pebbles dug into his knees as he crawled toward the sand. Once he was far enough away from the water that he wouldn't be touched at high-tide, Gabriel curled up under the shade of a tall tree for a moment to try and figure out what do next. The second he closed his eyes, Gabriel was asleep, missing the splash of a fin breaking the water only a few yards away.


	2. Chapter 1

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts**

 **Chapter 1**

Humans were fascinating. While not all merpeople would agree with Sam, he couldn't help but admire as they grew and advanced as a species. He had watched them from the ocean while they worked hard to be where they were now, how generation after generation came up with new and imaginative things to help the world around them. Sure, there were those who abused the ocean. those who made their water black with oil, or a wasteland from dumping their trash into the icy water, but there were also humans who risked everything to try and make up for the other's mistakes.

Sam observed them, the divers, the activists who tried so hard to clean up the ocean, to protect against overfishing and hunting creatures that were diminishing by the day. He had seen humans nearly drown trying to rescue a shark from a tangled net or risk being trapped in a cave while trying to learn more about the marine life and those who called the water home. Though it would be another generation or two before it happened, Sam had every faith that the ever-changing humans would once again surprise him with their advancement unlike the place he called home which seemed never to change.

Like everything that lived in the big blue, mermen aged slowly compared to humans. Though he would resemble perhaps a man in his mid-thirties Sam was close to three hundred years old and still had a while before he had to worry about his mortality. Their population, unlike other sea creatures, remained the same as it always had, their breeding cycles having no specific dates like their human cousins.

Sighing, Sam made his way to a pod of orcas he had been following for the past few days. It was always interesting with them around. Watching them hunt was something that remained enlightening, how they worked together in perfect sync. When he reached the pod, Sam noticed that the younger ones weren't with the group which, while not unusual, made him check the surrounding area. What he found made his heart stop. Straddling a flipped canoe was a human, one of the more stunning men he had ever seen. His blond hair shone in the sun creating the illusion of a halo, his body smaller than Sam's and heaving deep breaths while the orcas circled him.

Not bothering to worry about the consequences, Sam made a sharp thrill from the back of his throat, a warning to the orcas that the human was his. They stopped their play for a moment, one coming close to Sam to inspect the threat before the large dolphins left to join the rest of their pod. Careful to remain away from the human's line of sight, Sam came closer to the man. There was so much to see, the human relaxing into sleep from what would have been a near impossible task of climbing onto the cold metal of the canoe.

Chancing a quick peek, Sam noticed that the human was indeed in a deep sleep, his hand trailing down the side of the boat and lightly brushing the water's edge. With slow movements Sam brought his webbed hand to the man, trailing the pads of his fingers along the smooth skin of the human. It was warm, warmer than Sam's body temperature, and dry. Inspecting the wrist attached to the hand, Sam trailed his fingers along the soft skin until he couldn't reach lest he tip the canoe over and doom the man to the icy waters.

Glancing up, Sam took in the softer features of the human, having never seen one so close before. His skin was pale unlike Sam's own which was tinted the soft blue of the ocean to help him blend in. The human had soft-looking hair which Sam ached to touch, his hand twitching with the effort of not reaching out. The man's nose was tinted pink from being out in the sun though it was surrounded by a spray of freckles which made him even more attractive. For the first time in his life, Sam wished he had legs instead of a tail, that he could perhaps follow the man to land and maybe get closer.

But having legs wouldn't save the human from the open ocean, Sam's tail might.

Swimming to the stern of the boat Sam lay his palms flat on the metal edge and began to push. It took time and effort, the merman thankful for his strength as he moved the canoe through the water without disturbing the precious human balancing on top. While he swam, Sam had to prepare himself for the dangerous waters, avoiding areas he knew predators to hunt. They gave merpeople a wide berth, but a delicate human would be easy prey.

It was difficult to remain using his lungs for so long. His body was designed to breathe mostly with the use of his gills on the side of his neck. Still, Sam persevered. By the time dawn broke, the merman had managed his overall goal of getting the human mostly to safety. The landmass was one which was all but abandoned by the human population, but Sam had seen the debris of fallen fruit in the river that went through the small island. It would have enough to support the man at least until Sam could figure out a way to bring him to the safety of his people.

Hearing the human stir, Sam hid under the boat, holding it steady as the man climbed off making his descent almost seamless. The man was careful, taking measured strokes of his arms and kicking smoothly. Sam warned any remaining predators away from the human from below, swimming beneath the blond human until the shore was too shallow. Once the human was safely on the sand, his now red skin covered in the shade of a nearby tree, Sam left the area to return to his nest. His home was an underwater cave against the side of the island, which was one of the reasons why Sam brought the human to the landmass. He could keep an eye on the man and help if need be.

It wasn't even a full day before Sam was once again watching the human who seemed weakened. The blond's lips were chapped, and he constantly stuck his tongue out to moisten them only to sigh and rub his stomach. After a moment's hesitation, Sam dived back down into the reef and set to work. It didn't take him long to find some fish for the human, and after an hour's search, he also managed to find a container he could use to help hydrate the man.

There was a river that let out into the ocean which Sam swam to, keeping his caught fish and bottle close. Finding a nice clean stream of water, Sam filled the bottle before setting it and the fish as far as he could reach on the riverbank. It didn't take much for the merman to gain the human's attention. With some loud splashes he made while swimming off, the human man came to see what the noise was about.

Sam watched the human inspect the food and water before taking large mouthfuls of the liquid and bringing the fish, Sam assumed, to the fire he had managed to ignite. The island was small enough that Sam could travel through the river and see most of the land mass, able to keep his eyes on the human who fascinated him so much. A flash of desire trailed down Sam's spine as the human took off most of his clothing and laid it by the fire while he ate. Unlike his own chest which was filled with muscle and strength, the human seemed softer. Though still able to hold his own, the blond didn't need his skills to survive, and it made him all the more attractive.

Unable to help the soft thrill at the sight, the merman ducked down behind a rock as the human turned to see what made the noise. "Hello?" questioned the human, his head darting around the area while Sam remained hidden. "Is anyone there? Shit, I didn't mean to steal your food. Hello?" The sound of the human's voice was intoxicating, and though he couldn't respond, Sam wanted to hear more from him. The merman remained by the human for the day, and as night fell and he had to return to his cave Sam's thoughts lingered on the human and wondered what he could bring the man tomorrow for breakfast.


	3. Chapter 2

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 2**

Waking up on a beach was a nice thought, one Gabriel had figured he would enjoy from time to time, perhaps with someone beside him enjoying the sun. Sadly, this wasn't a fantasy come to life. The second Gabriel opened his eyes and looked around he knew his horrible experience wasn't merely a nightmare and the fear which had been at the back of his mind since the orcas came close to his boat started to set in. He was alone, as far as he could tell, and without any means of communicating for help. Holding back a sob, the blond stood from where he had passed out and decided that at the very least, he should try to find some fresh water and food.

Leaving the beach didn't make his fear go away; if anything, it made him more aware of what he was doing and how lost he could get in only a matter of minutes. Hiking was never something Gabriel enjoyed, but even with his bare feet crunching on leaves and the like, he searched for water. He could survive a hell of a lot longer without food, but the swim had made him thirsty. Thankfully, it didn't take more than a couple of hours for him to find the river. It was large enough that the blond figured it probably ran through the whole island, or most of it, but the water looked clear and inviting.

Carefully making his way down the bank, Gabriel braced himself on his knees before leaning over and cupping his hands in the cold spring, taking as much water as he could into his body before his stomach began to cramp. The river eased some of the hunger pains, though the trick would only work for a short while. With nothing to carry the water, Gabriel once again climbed the bank which wasn't too steep and kept close to the water while he looked for food.

The problem was that he didn't recognize most of the berries and fruits, and though he would try them if he was stranded there for too long, the last thing he needed was to be poisoned. By the time it started to get dark, Gabriel had managed to gather some berries he had recognized and nibbled on the limited food before deciding what to do next. He needed a fire. If there was one thing he knew from watching TV, it was that nobody was going to rescue him if they didn't know where he was.

Starting the fire was a pain in the ass. He didn't have any flint, or a lighter he could use and rubbing two sticks together was next to impossible to create a flame. What he did have was time and an addiction to television. Remembering the steps was easy enough. He always had a good memory for useless trivia but putting it into practice was another matter. It took several hours, lots of cursing and a couple of trips to the river for Gabriel to get something to drink before he managed to start a small flame.

Though he didn't want an enormous fire, Gabriel made sure that it was loaded enough to remain smoldering through the night and curled up beside his small flame as if to protect it. Hearing his stomach grumble, the blond placed a hand on his aching belly and sighed. "I know. Hopefully, someone found the damn boat and is looking for us." Though he was talking to his stomach, Gabriel felt slightly better than listening to the silence around him. There weren't even a lot of insects in the area. It was all but deserted of life, which would make hunting impossible though it did settle his mind a bit about his safety.

Closing his eyes, Gabriel hoped that when he opened them the past two days would have been nothing but a nightmare and he could worry about going back to work at the end of the week instead of where he was going to find enough food to survive.

Waking up hungry was something Gabriel was used to. He was always a bit hungry, and no amount of meal plans ever stopped his stomach from craving more. Typically, he would be able to go to the kitchen and make something to tide him over until lunch, but with no way to hunt and very few berries he knew were safe the blond whimpered instead, curling around his middle as if it would silence his protesting stomach.

With great effort, Gabriel rose from his prone position, checking the fire before making his way to the water. Blinking, Gabriel rubbed his eyes when he saw what was waiting for him. There sitting up the bank was a bottle of water and two dead fish. Once he was confident his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, Gabriel made his way down to the food, his mouth watering at the sight. Inspecting first the water then the fish, Gabriel looked around the area trying to figure out where it came from. He had heard splashing but hadn't thought anything of it given that there was a large enough river for marine life.

Cautiously Gabriel took the fish and bottle with him, having chugged the water and refilled the bottle. Smoking the fish, Gabriel took off his clothing and lay it down beside the fire. He couldn't clean the way he wanted, but hopefully, it would warm up the fabric a bit. Something made a sound from the direction of the river and turning toward it, Gabriel called out. "Hello?" he yelled, hopeful that whoever laid out the fish and water bottle was friendly or at least knew a way off the island and back to civilization. "Is anyone there? Shit, I didn't mean to steal your food. Hello?"

When no one answered, Gabriel, sighed before digging into the fish. It was bony and flavorless, and there wasn't a lot of meat on the small fish, but having two helped. It was also the best thing he had tasted in days and was gone in moments. Not knowing what to do with the remains, Gabriel placed them on a large leaf and took the bones to the bank away from where he had been easily getting to the water's edge. If anything wanted his leftovers, hopefully, it would be far enough away that they didn't want to peck at him next.

Returning to the fire, Gabriel wondered what else he could do. He needed a real shelter, something that would keep both him and his fire dry. He also needed to gather as much of the berries he knew and see if there was anything in the trees that he could eat. Tending to the fire, the blond started to work. It was hard-going; he had never needed the skills he was using before and building something out of near-nothing wasn't easy. Still by the time night fell, Gabriel was secure that he had the beginning of a shelter that would eventually be large enough to keep both him and his small fire from the rain. With no more fish, Gabriel ate what fruit he could before curling around the flame and going to sleep, his head pillowed on his balled-up shirt.

The next morning two more fish were waiting for him at the water's edge. And the morning after that there was a large leaf filled with shellfish and another fish. Each morning Gabriel would wake up hungry and thirsty, and once he reached the river, he would find breakfast there waiting for him. What was surprising was when fruit he had been avoiding ended up beside the fish. Taking a chance that if whoever it was wanted to hurt him, they could have by now, Gabriel started to eat the fruits given and searched for more of the same kind.

Still each night he would lay by the river and hope that whoever it was that was feeding him would come to light. Deciding that he wanted to meet the stranger more than he wanted that fish in the morning, Gabriel waited up as long as he could by the bank, and each morning when he woke the food was in its place with nobody there to claim credit for the deed. The only indication that someone was there before he opened his eyes besides the food was a large splash which woke him every time, making Gabriel sigh before continuing his day hoping that the next morning, he would be able to thank his savior.


	4. Chapter 3

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 3**

Taking care of his human was something Sam enjoyed immensely. It was interesting watching as Gabriel built himself a small home on the island, how the human would gather enough food to last him the day after eating what Sam provided him and how Gabriel seemed calm and collected despite the situation he was in. If Sam was stranded by himself unable to reach anyone, he didn't think he would be nearly as alright with the circumstances. It wasn't until the third day that he learned the human's name. He had left out the small bit of food for the blond, waiting unseen for the human to claim it when that amazing voice rang out.

"I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I wanted to say thank you. My name is Gabriel, and if you wanted to share my shelter or fire, you would be more than welcome."

Gabriel, his human's name was Gabriel. Humming the merman followed Gabriel throughout the day as he did most days, only leaving to get something to eat himself or when he needed to rest. Though he could do nothing about those on land, with his presence, Gabriel was at least safe from anything surrounding the island at sea. Animals didn't mess with merpeople, the species having been blessed with magic and abilities that could take care of even the largest of Great Whites.

Still, there was no way to explain it to the human unless he wanted to reveal himself, and though he grew more and more comfortable watching Gabriel each day exposing yourself to a human was taboo for a reason. It typically didn't end well for the one with legs. After delivering the fish and a few fruits that had been drifting through the water, Sam made his way home. It was his turn to hunt that morning, and if he wanted to make it on time and not have anyone realize what he was doing, he needed to leave Gabriel to fend for himself for a bit.

His absence the past few days hadn't been missed. The second he came to the section of reef where he was meeting his family to hunt, Sam knew he was in trouble. His father was pacing, his long brown tail swishing through the water while he held his spear in hand. Not wanting the merman to be any angrier, Sam hurried to the group, his eye darting to his brother and uncle before settling on his father. John was practically blowing bubbles out his ears he was so angry. He wanted to pretend that the thought didn't scare him, but there was always something a bit off with the merman that commanded obedience.

"Where were you?" demanded the older merman, his fist tightening around the shaft of his spear. For a second Sam wondered if his father was going to try and fight him. Though they argued often it had never come to blows between them before.

Squaring his shoulders, Sam refused to back down, his gaze never wavering from his father while he spoke. "I was near the island. There's a human trapped there, and I've been watching him from afar."

"A human?!" asked John, his voice seeming to grow even fiercer than before. "You mean to tell me you've been watching a human? You know that we can't allow ourselves to be seen. Our magic will only protect us so long as we remain hidden."

Rolling his eyes Sam was surprised when the older merman growled at him, the low vibrations felt through the water. "Dad, it's fine. He hasn't seen me, and he won't. I'm not so stupid as to let a human find out about us." John looked Sam over for a second before nodding.

"Then you shouldn't have a problem leaving the human alone from now on." John turned as if it was the end of the discussion; however, Sam could feel a chill deep in his bones. He couldn't leave Gabriel alone. Even though the human now knew what fruits he could eat on the island a man couldn't survive on that alone. Gabriel needed him, and the small offerings he gave the human kept him alive.

"No."

At the single word, John turned around, his arms crossed over his chest still holding his spear. Not backing down, Sam didn't break eye contact with the older man while he spoke. "I'm not going to give up watching the human. I'm here for the hunt like I promised to be. What I do in my own time is none of your concern." John didn't seem surprised by his defiance, and if it weren't for those watching, Sam had the impression his father would be fighting with more than just words.

"Fine," said John, his eyes narrowing in a harsh glare. "If you don't want to spend your time with your family, if you want to keep your pet human, than maybe you shouldn't return to the cave at all. The next time that you visit the land-walker, don't bother coming back."

The words stuck deeper than any spear, but even though it was expected of him to back down, Sam didn't. "My cave is my own; you can find another fourth for the hunt. I'm through." Without waiting for a response, though he heard his brother call out his name, Sam darted back the way he came and swam toward the estuary he had been spending so much time. He didn't need them, any of them. Though they preferred to hunt in groups Sam knew he could fend for himself and his human; he was healthy and fast enough to take down prey. He didn't need anyone.

Letting loose a sob while darting past anything in his way, Sam eventually found the dividing line between the salty ocean and the clear river. Slowing down so that he didn't overtax his gills from changing the type of water too quickly, Sam slowly made his way up the river to the spot he used to watch the human. Gabriel wasn't near, not as far as Sam could tell and he used that solitude to release the pain. Finding a small groove to sit, Sam curled his tail up, holding it to his chest while he cried.

It was all too much. He had known that eventually his father would get tired of him. They always butted heads, but to throw him out over how he wanted to spend his spare time was too much. So, lost in his grief of losing his family due to his father, Sam missed Gabriel's approach. What he didn't miss was when the man started to come closer, a sharp cry on his lips to gain Sam's attention. Hurriedly, Sam pushed his tail down into the water, thankful that it was a moonless night so that there was barely any light which would hopefully hide his less-than-human features.

"You must be the guy who's been keeping me alive. I've been trying to meet you for ages; my name is Gabriel."

Nodding, Sam bit his bottom lip for a second before remembering his sharp teeth and tried to hide them from view. Hesitantly Gabriel moved closer until he was only a few feet away before sitting down on the bank and watching Sam with a curious expression on his face. While the human wouldn't be able to make out a lot of the details in the dark Sam's eyes were designed to reflect even the dimmest of light and could see flawlessly. Being this close to Gabriel reminded Sam why he found the man so attractive, even with the hair that was growing thick along his cheeks and chin.

Rubbing a hand on his own smooth skin, Sam wondered how humans kept their facial hair off. Gabriel didn't have the beard when he first arrived. "I'm sorry. I guess I didn't realize… do you speak English?" asked Gabriel his tone soft and reassuring while he kept a respectful distance away. Wanting to curl around his tail but not daring to bring any attention to the area, Sam nodded, wanting nothing more than to reach out to the man now that he was so close. "So, you understand what I'm saying then?" asked Gabriel in that same soft tone. Once again nodding, Sam was thankful that he knew the language Gabriel was speaking.

"Thank you for looking after me every morning; I'm sure I would have starved to death if you hadn't been helping me out. Half the fruit in this place I've never seen before, and I didn't want to risk eating something that would kill me. If you don't mind… what's your name?"

Sucking his bottom lip into his mouth for a second, Sam paused before answering. "Sam," he responded, his voice holding a slight gurgle outside of the water. It wasn't always pleasant, speaking using his throat above water, but with his fascination with humans, it was something Sam had prided himself in. Gabriel beamed at the answer, his smile stretching across his face and causing Sam's fins to shiver.

"Good to meet you, Sam. So, I take it that you're stuck here on this island too? How long have you been here?"

The question was innocent enough, though Sam understood that Gabriel was trying to fish for information on how to leave. The thought of Gabriel abandoning the island scared him. The last thing he wanted was for his human to go. "All my life, well most of it anyway. The weather keeps well here so it could be worse." The answer seemed to have surprised Gabriel who shifted a bit closer.

"Is there anyone else here besides us?" This time Sam shook his head at the question. "No," he answered. "This island is all yours until you find a way off it." Even the words felt wrong; he didn't want Gabriel to find a way off the island. If anything, he wanted the human to stay with him. They could meet like this in the dark, and perhaps Gabriel would tell him stories of other places he could never see.

"I've never traveled much. Where are you from?" asked Sam, his fluke absently swishing in the water.

"New York now, though I'm originally from Nashville. I got a job working for the bank and thought all my dreams would come true until…" As Gabriel trailed off, Sam wondered what happened to remove the smile from the other man's face.

"Gabriel?" asked Sam, his voice pitched low in question.

Gabriel took a breath before he continued, "I lost my family not too long ago. We were having a party, and the place went up in flames. They couldn't get out. Now it's just me."

Wanting to reach out, Sam had to clench his fist not to move it. "I'm sorry. I lost my mom; she got trapped in a cave that collapsed. It wouldn't have been so bad, but the cave was with an active volcano and the water around her boiled. Dad tried to get her out, but there was nothing he could do." Gabriel reached out then, placing his hand on Sam's bare back which was thankfully the same texture as human skin though a bit colder from the water.

"Hey, at least we got each other now, right?" stated Gabriel, scooting down the bank but thankfully keeping his legs out of the water and away from Sam's tail. Nodding, Sam leaned into the touch for a moment, enjoying the feeling before a loud grumble echoed through the area. Startled, Sam turned to see Gabriel was flushing a light pink, his hand covering his stomach with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I was on my way to refill my water bottle for supper when I saw you there."

"I'll get you something; you still have the fire going right?" before Gabriel could protest, Sam slinked off into the river. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't go anywhere, okay?" When Gabriel nodded, Sam smiled at his human before diving, not noticing as his tail breached the water and was visible to the human while he dove down.


	5. Chapter 4

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 4**

Sam was a mermaid. The thought circled inside Gabriel's head while he waited for the mermaid to come back as promised. Maybe there was something in that fruit that caused hallucinations? There was no way that what he saw was real; mermaids didn't exist beyond Disney. Sam returned carrying a couple of the small fish Gabriel had come to plan into his daily meals. And there behind Sam was a tail. He was talking to a mermaid. "Here, I know you must be getting sick of them but there's a large school of these guys close by, so I don't have to go far… if you want something different, I can hunt for something else in the morning."

A mermaid was bringing him fish to eat. A. Freakin. Mermaid. Nodding, Gabriel accepted the dead fish and placed them on a rock beside him. There was no way he was leaving to tend to the fire when Sam could swim away on him at any given moment. No, he had questions. "Thank you. So mermaids are real I take it?" He hadn't meant to ask, but the inquiry slipped through before he could hold it back. Sam jerked at the question before his eyes widened and Gabriel thought for sure the mermaid was going to bolt.

"Yeah, but you can't tell anyone. We don't want humans to know about us, not yet at least. I mean you guys are great and all, but we've done really well keeping our population the same since forever and if humans knew…"

At the fear in Sam's voice, Gabriel smiled at the mermaid, nodding along. It wasn't like anyone would believe him anyway. "No, I get it, and it's fine. When I find my way off this island, I won't tell anyone, though I think I have like a thousand questions if you have the time?" Sam paused for a second before swimming closer, and Gabriel couldn't help but wish he could see the man in the daylight instead of the dark shadows whenever he moved. What exactly did a mermaid tail look like? Voicing the question out loud earned a splash of water to Gabriel's face from Sam who was crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll have you know that I'm a mer _man_ , Gabriel, and you would do well to remember that. While we both have tails, there's a significant difference between the two, so I wouldn't mess it up again, alright?"

Wiping the water from his face, Gabriel chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I get it. I wouldn't like someone calling me a chick either. So, are you guys mammals or fish or what? How do you socialize? Do you migrate? What exactly do you eat? You mentioned keeping your population up, how exactly do you repopulate?" At the last question, Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows making Sam laugh, which was his original intention.

"We're considered both I think? I mean our babies are born not laid, but most of our bodies are covered in scales not hair. We socialize the same as humans, I guess. Some pods are larger than others, but typically we stay pretty close together in family units though we do explore other pods occasionally. I have friends who aren't family, but I don't see them very often." Taking a break, Sam glanced at Gabriel who was hanging on his every word, leaning forward a bit closer to the merman.

"We don't really migrate per se. Typically we find an area that we like and stay there until either the climate changes too drastically or our food supply, which is anything edible in the ocean really, dries up. As for how we mate it's like you humans."

Darting his eyes down to Sam's waistline which merged into the merman's tail, Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how you think humans procreate but unless it's hidden, you seem to be missing some of the equipment."

"We don't wear clothes; we have scales. I have a penis the same as you do. There's a slit it comes through when aroused though it probably looks different than yours." Gabriel was about to comment when a sharp thrill rang out in the night making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Sam straightened as well, jerking away at the sound. "I'm sorry but that's my brother. I need to see what he wants."

Before Sam could move back into the water entirely, Gabriel reached out and placed his hand on the merman's arm which was solid muscle under his palm. "I'll see you in the morning though, right? Now that I know, you don't need to hide from me anymore." Sam hesitated before placing his hand on Gabriel's. There was a contrast to their skin, Sam's hands being moist from the water and chilled to the touch.

"I'll be back in the morning. Go eat your fish, and I'll have something for you for breakfast."

With that Sam was gone, pulling free of Gabriel's hold and swimming away. Once he could no longer see the merman, Gabriel gathered his fish and returned to his fire after refilling the bottle which had been his original goal. As he ate, the blond couldn't help but wonder about everything he learned that night and what he could learn the next day. If Sam was willing, he hoped to find out everything he could about the -supposed to be- mythological creature. It opened an entire world of possibilities. If mermen were real, what else was in hiding?

Laying down to sleep, Gabriel couldn't help but think of what he had seen of Sam's body. Though he didn't get a good look at his tail the merman's upper half was a sight to behold. Whatever Sam did to survive made him fit. His bare chest had been broad, and though he couldn't make out the delicate details in the dark, Gabriel could imagine how those large arms he had only briefly touched would feel around him.

It had been a long time since Sam was nervous. With his small kelp-weaved basket of shellfish, the merman hoped that Gabriel liked what he brought for breakfast. It was different. Before he had remained in the shallows watching Gabriel eat, but this time Sam would interact with his human. Hopefully, Gabriel didn't think the night before was all a dream. Spotting the human waiting by the bank, Sam swam a bit faster, wanting to get close to Gabriel again like he was the previous night.

Golden eyes turned to him, and something swept across Gabriel's expression that Sam had never seen before that made him feel warm from the inside out. Gabriel met him at the water's edge, the human reaching out for a second before pulling his hand back. "Morning, Sam. What did you bring up to munch on this morning?" Shaking his head slightly at the other's cheer, Sam passed Gabriel the basket, their fingers brushing during the exchange. Even the slightest touch of the human made Sam crave more.

"Hey, do you always run so cold? I was meaning to ask you last night but didn't get the chance."

Nodding at the question, Sam watched as Gabriel placed the food off to the side before turning his attention back to Sam. The blond was trying to be casual, however his eyes barely left Sam's tail. Wanting it out of the way, Sam sat in the little dip he made the day before and spread his tail out before him. It was nothing special, not like the green of his brother's or the blue of Bobby's. It was like his tail couldn't decide what color it wanted to be. From his pectoral fins down to his fluke was a mixture of greens, blues, and browns.

"Do you want to see it closer?" asked Sam, lifting his tail onto the bank. Though he needed to keep the appendage wet, he could have it out for a few minutes while Gabriel explored.

"You know," commented Gabriel, crawling down to get close to the tail, his pants soaked through while he knelt beside him. "I always thought the only fin of a mer-person would be at the end, but you have all kinds."

Jerking his tail a bit closer to Gabriel, giving the okay for the human to touch him as the blond was half-reaching out toward him. "It wouldn't be practical; our fins help us to balance in the water and to maneuver quickly when needed. My dorsal fin goes from where the back of your neck would be, to right before the top of your ass and keeps me balanced, my pectoral fins help me when switching direction, and my pelvic fins help me better control the water flow on my tail. I know it's nothing to look at, but this is the basic design for a merman. Mermaids tend to have side fins instead of pectoral ones."

The warm hand caressing along his tail, oh so gently, made Sam shiver and wish that he could return the favor. "I don't know why I was expecting it to be rough, but your scales are smooth to the touch, kind of like a snake. I still don't see that dick you were bragging about last night through. Also, your quip about it being nothing to look at? Sam, I don't know what other mermen look like, but you're _gorgeous_."

A happy trill sounded from the back of his throat at the compliment which made Gabriel grin brightly. "I told you, my penis remains hidden unless I'm aroused. Can I… your hands are so different than mine, may I?" While asking, Sam reached out his hand to which Gabriel easily slipped his in for inspection. It was different than anything else Sam had seen before, the way Gabriel's fingers could spread so far apart, how his fingers were short, and though dirty from living outside, seemed neat and trim. There was hair, the slightest bit on the back of his hand, which grew thicker up his arm.

Feeling his tail begin to dry, Sam once again placed it into the water. What he didn't realize was how the action would startle Gabriel until the human was falling toward the river. Tugging on the hand in his own, Sam pulled Gabriel against him, not wanting the human to get dunked into the river. Once Gabriel righted himself the human was sitting astride his waist, one leg on either side of Sam's wide hips. Gabriel placed a hand on Sam's chest to balance himself, his other hand still in Sam's.

"Wow," commented Gabriel, his eyes wide and his pupils seeming to grow bigger while he palmed at Sam's chest. "You feel just like a human here. A bit cold but I dunno, I guess I was expecting more scales or something." Opening his mouth to explain how his body functioned as a human Sam choked off a cry instead as wandering fingers rubbed against his nipple. Unable to stop from swishing his tail in the water, Gabriel would have been getting soaked, but he didn't seem to care.

"You like that I take it?" asked Gabriel before pinching the nipple deliberately. Grasping at the human's hips, Sam nodded. He could feel his slit starting to open, and though he wanted nothing more than to mate with Gabriel, Sam wasn't ready for the challenges it would cause. They could have sex for pleasure, but what Sam wanted was to mate with Gabriel in every way he knew how. He wanted this to always be _his_ human. Grabbing the hand which was tweaking the other nipple, Sam shook his head, trying to calm down with Gabriel straddling him.

"Not yet, I don't want this yet."

Gabriel didn't push, instead, he pulled his hands back but remained seated where he was. "Alright, Fishsticks, I'll keep my hands mostly to myself, for now. You gotta believe that you're extremely irresistible, scales and all. And once you give the okay, I plan on showing how much pleasure a human can give." Whimpering at the thought, Sam looked at those golden eyes he admired so much and leaned forward, placing his lips over Gabriel's. The human didn't waste any time before kissing him back, putting his hand in Sam's damp hair and playing with the strands while they explored each other's mouths.

Pissed father or not, Sam knew he wouldn't give up Gabriel for anyone.


	6. Chapter 5

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 5**

Sam loved the new developments between him and his human. While before he was forced to watch from afar, now Gabriel greeted him each morning with a kiss. They would spend most of the morning talking before Gabriel would leave to cook whatever the merman brought him. Sam would use the time to hunt for something for himself, returning to his dip in the bank and waiting for Gabriel to return. It typically didn't take long. the blond was just as eager as him to explore whatever it was between them.

Each day Sam allowed Gabriel to explore him a bit more. They would spend hours touching and kissing, though Sam always stopped them before his dick came through his slit. He was willing to do more, oh how he wanted to do more, but if he were to mate with Gabriel, he would be tied to the human forever. Even though Gabriel had stopped mentioning it, Sam had no delusions that the second the human had the chance he would leave the island, and Sam, behind.

"Gabriel!" shouted Sam while the human sucked a mark into his neck right below his gills. Grasping at the human's back, Sam was careful to retract his nails when touching the man. Gabriel chuckled, his hand rubbing where Sam's waist met tail, a spot that was sensitive and caused his tail to jerk. About to pull back as his dick was ready to break free, Sam pushed on Gabriel's bare chest, loving the feeling of his warm skin. "Gabriel, we have to stop, oh!"

Sam's protests were halted by the way Gabriel bit down on his clavicle before pulling back. Gabriel was a mess, his eyes blown wide in what Sam learned was in pleasure and his chest was heaving for breath. His beard was thicker now than it had been only a few days before and Sam loved the feeling of it against his skin. "Why do you keep stopping us, Samshine? Is it because I'm human? You said that you mate like a human, didn't you? Is there more to it than that?"

Sam was tempted to take the out that was given. Gabriel wouldn't know the difference thinking that he naturally couldn't mate with a human. But he wanted to, oh how he sought to sink into Gabriel, to claim the man as his own. "No, it's not that… once we choose our mate, it's for life. I know that you're still hopeful that someone will come and rescue you from here. If we were to mate, I would never be able to find anyone else, ever. merpeople live long lives, Gabriel. I'm not even middle-aged yet, and I'm three hundred years old. To never be able to find another because you didn't like the island? I can't risk it."

A gentle hand cupped his cheek, forcing Sam to look up from where he had been staring at Gabriel's chest. "You'd never be able to find anyone else? What about if I remained here? I'm not going to live that long, Sam, not compared to you. Would you be able to find someone else then?" Sam shook his head, resting his hands on Gabriel's hips and wishing he could give his human what he wanted. "My magic would extend your life; you would age at the same rate as a merman."

Soft lips pressed against his own, giving Sam a bit of hope that Gabriel wasn't going to turn him away. When he pulled back, Gabriel was looking at him with a soft smile on his face, his hands running through Sam's hair the way he liked. "We'll figure it out. This mating thing does it only catch with penetration?" Nodding, Sam hummed as Gabriel trailed soft kisses along his chin and down his throat, happily letting Gabriel sooth him. "How about we continue as we have been and see what happens? I'm not saying I want to get mated right now, but let me think about it for a bit, okay?"

A happy thrill came from Sam while he held Gabriel close against him. He couldn't ask for more. It wasn't the agreement that Sam had dreamed about, but it was enough that Gabriel wasn't rejecting the thought right away. They continued kissing and lightly touching. There was no push for more, and when Sam left for the day, he promised to give Gabriel some time to think. Swimming off to go back to his cave for the evening Sam was surprised at a flash of green. Bracing himself, the merman waited while Dean came up to him. His brother looked furious, his fluke swishing in agitation as he watched Sam with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What are you thinking?! I saw you and the human; you can't seriously be thinking about bonding with him!"

He should have known that Dean wouldn't support him. Even though he wasn't ready to make the step without Gabriel promising not to leave, Sam very much wanted to bond with the human. Rolling his eyes, Sam tried to play it off. "I'm not bonding with him, Dean. I laid out the facts, and he's going to think about it, but we're just exploring each other. You can't tell me not to have sex, Dean, at least not _you_ of all mermen."

Dean sighed, small bubbles escaping his mouth. Uncrossing his arms, the older merman swam a bit closer to Sam, placing his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Sammy, I think you forget that I know you. That blow-out with Dad wouldn't have happened if you weren't already invested in the human, and I've been throwing mermaids at you for ages trying to help you get laid. You've always wanted more than sex, and you seemed to be on the way to that when I saw you with your human."

Sam didn't answer, though he didn't shove Dean's hand away either. Dean was right; they both knew it. He had never been interested in more than a handful of merpeople and even then, he had wanted more than they were ready to give. Unlike Dean who had no problem having sex without bonding, Sam wanted _more_. "You're in love with him." The statement came out of Dean as a shocked gasp, his eyes wide, looking at Sam who turned away.

"Of course not, I've only known him for a couple weeks."

Dean shook his head before giving Sam a sad smile. "Doesn't matter, not with you, Sammy. You're in love with the human and you don't know what to do. I bet you even told him that we mate for life, haven't you? Cause as much as you could use to get laid, if you went that far you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from bonding with him." When Sam started to speak Dean held up his hand, shaking his head. "No, don't bother. It's written all over your face. I'm not going to tell Dad, but you have to work this out. If you bond with him and he leaves you, what then? He won't be tied to you the same way; he can't be as a human. Just wait it out for a couple of days."

Though he hated the idea, Sam nodded. Dean was right; he had to give everything time to settle or else he might end up making a mistake that could cost him any chance of love for the rest of his life. "I've been bringing him breakfast. He doesn't know how to fish without a hook. I can't just leave him to fend for himself."

Dean sighed, once again leaving a trail of bubbles in his wake. "I'll scrounge up something for him and leave it before he wakes up. Three days, Sam, just give it three days before you go back there and ruin your life."

"Thanks, Dean," spoke Sam, though he was trying to sound sarcastic it came out far too genuine. He wanted to protest that he wasn't making a mistake, but the facts in front of him didn't allow too much wiggle room. He could take a few days to think about what he wanted to do and if mating, and bonding, with Gabriel was what he needed. Parting from his brother, Sam made his way to his cave as initially intended to get some sleep before he would head out the next day. Even if he wasn't hunting with the group any longer there were things he could do to pass the time, just like he used to. Though it was hard to remember how life was before Gabriel.


	7. Chapter 6

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 6**

While Sam had told him that he was going to give Gabriel some time to think about what he wanted, the blond didn't know he would be all but abandoned. The following morning his meal was by the bank, a few yards from where it typically was, but there was no merman there to speak with. Eating the fish that morning had felt off, but he was willing to give Sam time to decide what he wanted. Gabriel had his own thinking to do. The idea of being tied to someone the way Sam was describing was frightening. He wanted Sam; the merman made desire pool in his belly whenever he saw him, but did he want to spend the rest of his life away from human contact?

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. While he wouldn't be able to stay if he aged the same as Sam, perhaps he would be able to make port every few years to interact with people for a couple of days before returning to his merman. He could make it work. It wasn't like he was giving up a family or any loved ones back home, and not working to the bone for little to no reward did sound tempting. But what if what Sam had to offer, everyday spending by the seaside, wasn't enough?

Gabriel knew himself; he was a people person. He didn't have many close friends, but he enjoyed interacting with people. Could he really give that up so that he could have sex with Sam? They could remain friends, couldn't they? He could still find a way off the island and go back home, and maybe every vacation instead of taking a canoe out fishing, he could come back to the island and spend his days with Sam again.

But would Sam want that?

The blond had a feeling that the merman was already invested in their relationship, whatever it may be, and it was Gabriel holding them back. He didn't know if he would be willing to give up the things he wanted with a lover for Sam, of rolling over in bed and finding his partner there, or maybe building a family. Sam could give him sex and companionship but at the end of the day the merman would need to return to his cave, and Gabriel would be forced to sleep alone.

They were from two very different worlds, ones that couldn't merge fully.

But was it worth the risk?

Sighing, Gabriel tossed and turned that night in his makeshift bed, trying to decide what he wanted to do and what he was willing to live with. The next morning found yet another offering of food without his merman there to speak with, and though he still hadn't decided what he wanted, having Sam not around made his stomach turn. Could he have pushed the merman away already? With sunken shoulders, Gabriel picked at the meal, not bothering to do anything for the day but wait by the river in hopes that Sam would come back.

It was lonely, not knowing if his only company was going to return or not, and by the end of the night, Gabriel couldn't chance Sam leaving the food in the morning without speaking to him. Bringing the pile of leaves he had bunched together to create a pillow, Gabriel went to sleep by the bank, just far enough that hopefully nothing could attack him from the water, but he would hear Sam approaching in the morning.

The following day Gabriel woke with a start at the sound of something being placed by his head. Eyes snapping open, the blond expected to see Sam. Instead, there was a different merman with his hand retracting back from where the shellfish had been left. With a scream he would later deny, Gabriel jumped back, scooting as far away from the merman as he could while remaining on the bank. The stranger blinked, his lips turning into a smirk as he observed Gabriel.

"Who are you?" demanded Gabriel, trying to retain at least some of his dignity when a thought hit him. Was something wrong with Sam? Panicked, Gabriel reached forward, just stopping himself from grabbing the merman's arm. "Wait scratch that, is Sam okay? Is that why he hasn't been around? Did he get hurt? Is he going to be okay?"

Gabriel wasn't sure if his words were coming through too fast for the merman to understand, but those green eyes seemed to soften slightly. "Sam is fine. Strictly speaking, he shouldn't have shown you what he was, so I told him to cool it for a few days to see if he was willing to risk everything for a human." Blinking, Gabriel tried to process what the merman was telling him.

"You mean he's been willingly staying away the past couple days? Have you been giving me my breakfast this whole time as well? And what do you mean risk everything? I told him I'm not going to tell anyone about merpeople, not even as a joke! He can trust me." The thought of Sam not trusting him to keep his word shot through Gabriel's chest. The merman sighed, the sound bubbling slightly like it was half in the water.

"No, even if you wanted to tell the world about us, who would believe you? I mean I caught you two getting handsy, and he needed to figure out if he should risk his one shot at having a mate on a flight risk." When Gabriel began to protest, the merman shook his head. "No, my baby brother may think that you'll stick with him if you two bond, but can you honestly tell me that if a ship came through right now, you wouldn't try to flag them down?"

Hesitating, Gabriel could see where the merman was coming from and was thankful that even briefly Sam mentioned his family, so he now knew what to call the merman. "See?" said Dean, frowning. "If given a chance you would try to go back to your world, and Sam would be left to grieve for the rest of his life. Sure, at some point you might think about him, probably when you stopped growing older, but you would be free to find someone else. He wouldn't. So, I told him to cool it for a few days and see what he thinks after taking some time."

"He wouldn't be able to be with anyone ever again? I mean don't you guys live, like, forever?" asked Gabriel, his voice a mere whisper. Dean pulled himself onto the bank, fitting into the groove that Sam had made a few days ago.

"Once we bond, that's it. We can have sex the same as humans, with as many merpeople as we want, but bonding? Yeah, once we cross that line, there ain't no going back. Even if our bonded dies we still can't be with another; it goes beyond that."

Silence fell between them while Gabriel tried to digest what Dean was saying. He had thought, even though Sam explained it to him, that maybe the merman would only feel a slight pull, something he could ignore as time went by. "Why would he want to bond with me though? I mean I'm limited to land. There's so much we would miss out on being together that he could have with someone else."

Dean laughed then, but the sound was bitter and rough. "Because he's in love with you. You know it took me a while to figure it out myself, but I spoke with the pod of orca who were playing with you-"

"Playing?! Those creatures tried to drown me!" interrupted Gabriel, his hands thrown up in the air.

Dean rolled his eyes before continuing where he left off. "Well as they tell it, they were playing when you fell out of your boat. What you may not know is that Sam was nearby when he heard the commotion. Tell me did you hear anything that made them leave you alone?"

Gabriel had to think back on the day he would rather forget, but the sound of what he thought was a strange whistle had rung out right before the orcas left him alone. "That was Sam. Orcas are unpredictable. They could have been playing, or they could have been getting ready to eat you. It's hard to tell. What I do know is that Sam not only got them off your case, but he waited until you fell asleep to push your canoe all through the night, at significant risk to himself, to make sure you found land."

Turning widened eyes at the merman, Gabriel was speechless. "Yeah, he swam through the current to make sure your sorry ass was safe. Then he kept watch and scared away anything that would harm you around the area. Do you honestly think that there wouldn't be sharks or something around here that would have gone for the chance of a tired animal swimming to shore? Then he goes and starts hunting for you, which by the way is something he would have done for someone he wanted to mate with. He was gone for you ages ago, so now the ball is in your court."

Startled, Gabriel waited for more from the merman who sighed once again. "I know my brother, and Sammy is in this for life… if you are. Whatever you do don't bond with him if you're not going to stick around for good. He'll understand if you can't. I mean you would be giving up a lot to be with him, more than we probably understand. There's plenty you can do without bonding if this is about getting your rocks off, but just… don't break him, because if you bonded with him and then left? He wouldn't survive that."

Slipping into the water, Dean started to swim away having said his peace. "Wait!" called out Gabriel, his voice frantic. "Thank you for explaining this all to me; I don't think I understood what he was asking, not really."

Dean nodded before responding, having to shout as he swam a bit farther away. "Sam will be back tomorrow; I suggest thinking about what I said until then. And Gabriel?" asked Dean, waiting for the human to nod before continuing. "If you do end up breaking my brother? Don't think for a second that being on land will save you."

A shiver ran down Gabriel's spine at the threat, though before he could say anything Dean was gone. Sighing the human gathered the food he had all but forgotten about and made his way to his camp. He had a lot to think about.


	8. Chapter 7

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 7**

Sam had never looked forward to hunting before. While he enjoyed it from time to time when he went with his family, it wasn't something that he took pleasure in. The morning he was going to see Gabriel again Sam couldn't keep the grin off his face while he caught a few fish for his human, finally able to break the silence between them. Darting past those around him, Sam made his way to the small island, almost making himself sick by how quickly he switched from salt to freshwater. It would have been worth it to see Gabriel that much sooner.

With his fish in his small basket, Sam thrilled in joy at seeing Gabriel sitting at the bank waiting for him. He had missed the other's blond hair and golden eyes, and the smile Gabriel gave him went straight to Sam's heart. This was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He had thought about it for his three days away, pondered over if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Gabriel, if he could risk the other leaving. Three days apart was too much; he never wanted to go through the separation again.

It was worth the risk.

"Hey, Samshine, I wondered if you were avoiding me."

At the comment, Sam pulled himself on the bank in his usual spot, his basket being placed aside by the human who was more than happy to come closer. "No, I had some thinking to do about us and needed to figure some things out without you distracting me." Gabriel nodded, his eyebrows wiggling.

"Am I'm a distraction?" asked the human before sliding down beside Sam and resting against him. Sam didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around his human, pulling Gabriel close and nuzzling the man's soft blond hair. It had gotten matted at first, the locks not brushed since he arrived at the island, but Sam had left Gabriel plants to rub into his hair to help smooth it out.

"You're a wonderful distraction, and you know it."

Gabriel hummed, laying his hand on Sam's chest and caressing the skin. No matter how many hours they spent together Gabriel always wanted to touch more. It was addictive, being able to hold the human against him now since he hadn't been able to in what felt like years. "Gabriel… have you thought about what I said before I left? About mating?" Sam was hesitant to ask, his voice a low whisper while he forced the words out. On the one hand, he could have all his dreams come true, but he could also have them crushed if Gabriel decided Sam wasn't what he wanted.

"I did. Haven't thought of much else. And I wish I had an answer for you, Sam, I really do, but I need a bit more time before I decide on forever." Tensing against Gabriel, the human must have felt it as he moved so that he was straddling Sam's hips, his hands on the merman's shoulders. "I like you, and I find you irresistible… but I need to think about both of us; this wouldn't just affect me. I'm worried that someday I may want human interaction again, to walk in the city again, and the last thing I want to do is hurt you."

It stung; knowing that Gabriel still wanted to leave the island _hurt_. A gentle hand rested on his chin, pressing until Sam looked into Gabriel's eyes. "I'm not saying I want to leave right now, but I'm a social creature, and the urge might strike eventually. I just… I'm not where you are yet, Sam. You're ready for forever, and it wouldn't be fair to bond with you if I wasn't ready to make that commitment as well."

A surge of warmth went through Sam. He could feel the sting of rejection, but Gabriel was looking after him, thinking about how it would hurt Sam if he wanted to leave while bonded. He wasn't saying no. Nodding, Sam pressed a chaste kiss on the other's lips, enjoying the feeling for a moment. "I can understand that, but if you decide one way or the other let me know. I'm not going to leave you here alone to starve because you don't want to bond. I'm your friend either way, Gabriel."

Smiling, Gabriel nodded, his hand coming to tangle in Sam's hair. "I know you wouldn't leave me, not like that. I have to ask though, if we did mate and let's say I wanted to spend a weekend on land every few months, could we do that? I wouldn't be long, just long enough to maybe have a beer or speak to a friend until the aging thing becomes a problem." Sam didn't like the thought of Gabriel going back to civilization. What was to stop his human from never returning or finding someone else to sleep with while he was away?

Gabriel seemed to understand where Sam was coming from as he leaned forward a bit, placing their foreheads together. "I'd come back, Sam. And you don't have to worry about me finding someone else. Even if this bond didn't tie you to me, I wouldn't cheat on you. Ever." Gabriel started to nuzzle along Sam's neck, careful of his gills while kissing the skin. "You know there are other things we could do without completing the bond for now, if you're interested."

As a hand trailed down his chest, Sam hummed, his hands reaching out to grab at the blond's ass. Slipping a hand into Gabriel's boxers which were all that the man wore on the hotter days, Sam loved the feeling of the warm flesh and took a minute to squeeze the cheeks which made Gabriel buck against him. "I want to see you," murmured Sam, his voice dipped deeper in desire. Gabriel pulled back for a moment, standing before taking off his boxers, and for the first time up close Sam could see the hardening penis of his lover.

It was different than his own, flushed pink and with a glimmering head. Before Gabriel could return to his previous position, Sam leaned forward and licked at the spongy head. It tasted salty, though by the sound Gabriel made, his curiosity was welcome. Placing a hand back on Gabriel's ass, Sam used the other to explore the new area of his lover's body. The shaft was hard, but there was a softness overlapping the length, and pulling along the flesh made Gabriel moan harshly, jerking his hips into Sam's touch.

Opening his mouth, Sam began to take the hot dick in his mouth when a hand on his hair stopped him. "You need to make sure your teeth don't touch me. I've seen them, and they could do some severe damage." Nodding, Sam wrapped his lips over his teeth before sucking a couple of inches of Gabriel's cock into his mouth. The sound Gabriel made was between a moan and a sigh while Sam went to work. His hand didn't let up on its exploration, fingering the hairy balls and stroking along what he couldn't fit in his mouth.

Bobbing his head, Sam found he liked what he was doing, bringing Gabriel pleasure with his mouth. The man was running his hands through Sam's hair, lightly rocking into the rhythm while Sam sucked him off. "Not gonna last long… been too long with just my hand… you feel so good, Sam," muttered Gabriel, one hand fisting in Sam's hair instead of the soft stroking he had been doing. Humming, Sam didn't mind the thought of Gabriel releasing in his mouth; he wanted to know what the human tasted like. Redoubling his efforts and ignoring the saliva trailing along the side of his mouth, Sam sucked harder, licking along the tip of Gabriel's cock each time he pulled back.

A sharp cry and Gabriel pivoted forward, almost making Sam choke before giving into his pleasure. Swallowing around the dick pulsing in his mouth, Sam took all that Gabriel was willing to give. It didn't taste bad per se. It wasn't exactly the best thing he had ever tasted, but Sam could grow accustomed to it. Once Gabriel pulled away, the now-softening member leaving his lips, Sam looked up at his lover. Gabriel's eyes seemed wild, the pupils huge while he dropped to his knees and firmly planted his lips on Sam's.

Hands pressed on Sam's shoulders until he was laying down with Gabriel on top of him, pushing him into the bank. "Gabriel?" asked Sam, the human leaving his mouth to trail kisses and nips down his throat and chest. A tongue circled his nipple, making Sam squirm for a moment while hands trailed down his stomach. "I showed you my dick. Now I wanna see yours." A confident hand rubbed over where Sam's slit was, blushing; Sam shook his head for a second. "I need the slit to be in the water, safety thing."

The two made their way just enough in the water that Sam's slit was submerged, though it made Gabriel's knees sink slightly in the mud. The human didn't seem to care as he watched Sam's dick come through the hidden slit. It was longer than Gabriel's, designed as one smooth shaft. The head jutted out slightly, just enough to make out the unmistakable form of a penis, though it had the same mixture of colors as the rest of the merman's tail but a bit darker. .

Reaching out carefully, Gabriel trailed the pads of his fingers along the length. Sam didn't say anything, instead, he leaned on his elbows and watched Gabriel explore him. It felt wonderful to have someone touch him; it had been too long since he sought any kind of release. When Gabriel leaned forward licking the hard head, Sam gasped, clenching his hands as not to pull that mouth on his shaft. Unlike him, Sam knew Gabriel couldn't breathe underwater, and though the top of his dick wasn't in the river if he pressed too hard, he could hurt Gabriel.

"You need to let me drive, okay? I want to blow you, but you gotta let me breathe when I need to."

Nodding frantically, Sam waited for a moment before Gabriel leaned forward and swallowed his cock. He couldn't get all of it, but what was inside that hot mouth was amazing. Moaning out, Sam struggled not to thrust up as Gabriel started sucking. What wasn't in his mouth was being stroked by a firm hand, Gabriel pulling back every few seconds to gulp air before going back down. The human continued for several minutes, Sam's moans and groans calling out in their small little island while he was worked over.

"Ga-Gabriel!" shouted Sam as he reached his peak, Gabriel fingering along his slit pushing him over the edge. Just like he had done for the human, Gabriel sucked the release from him, swallowing the fluid. Panting, his lungs working far more than they ever had, Sam fell on the bank, his dick sliding back now that it finished spreading his sperm.

"Wow," muttered Gabriel, licking his lips and looking at Sam who reached out to the human. Gabriel didn't hesitate to curl up against him, even though his legs would be cold from the water. Sam needed to hold him for a bit.

"You taste a hell of a lot better than human spunk. I don't know what I was expecting, but your monster-dick wasn't it. How the hell is that supposed to fit inside me?"

Thrilled at the implications of being inside Gabriel, Sam rubbed the human's ass, never being able to get enough of the soft flesh in his palm. "When intending to mate, I will give off a large amount of lubrication with a slight numbing agent. Since my dick was out for release and not mating the lubricant wasn't needed this time. I promise, Gabriel, I would never hurt you. If you decide to mate with me, my monster-cock will fill you so well, you'll wonder how you lived without it."

Gabriel hummed, resting his head on Sam's chest. "Promise?" With a laugh, Sam nodded, rubbing along Gabriel's ass and back, holding his human close. It wasn't the yes he was looking for, but somehow Sam didn't think it would be much longer before Gabriel agreed to be his mate. He would make sure it was a choice the human never regretted.


	9. Chapter 8

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 8**

Sex with Sam was terrific, if cold. The fact that the merman had to have his pelvis in water for his dick to make an appearance was a bit of a damper to their sex life, but Sam more than made up for it. The merman wanted to explore everything, to memorize the way Gabriel felt and tasted everywhere. Screaming, Gabriel nearly passed out as a damp hand wrapped around the base of his cock for the third time that morning, stopping him from finding his release. Turning his head to look back at his lover behind him, Gabriel tried to plead to the merman only for that ingenious tongue to once again be shoved into his ass.

Whimpering, Gabriel's arms shook from holding up his torso. He was kneeling on the ground on all fours, his legs spread and arse in the water. His face was only a few inches away from the surface of the river. They had figured out it was much more comfortable if Gabriel was willing to get wet, nearly always in the water, while his lover pleasured him. With Sam having the ability to breathe underwater, Gabriel didn't have a chance to brace himself before the merman licked and sucked on his hole, his long, webbed fingers spreading Gabriel's cheeks apart while he ate the human out.

"Please, please, Sam, please!"

A slick finger entered along with Sam's tongue and Gabriel was gone. With a cry the human came into the river, his arms shaking and just barely keeping his face away from the water while Sam grunted behind him. Holding himself up for just a bit longer while Sam jerked off, Gabriel whimpered as the merman's mouth never stopped working on his sensitive skin, milking him for all he was worth. Once Sam let loose a loud groan, Gabriel turned around, crawling back onto the bank until he could lay down without having to worry about drowning.

Sam was quick to join him, curling his long tail around Gabriel's legs and holding the human against his chest. It was how Gabriel found himself spending most days, and he loved every second of it. It was getting harder and harder to resist the urge to tell Sam to mate him, to shove his long cock into him and tie them together forever. But there was something he needed to do before he could make that commitment, and after several minutes of light touch in the afterglow, Gabriel felt it was time to bring up the last hurdle between them.

"Sam?" asked Gabriel in a whisper while holding the merman close. Receiving a questioning hum in response, Gabriel hoped he wasn't making a mistake. "Sam, we need to talk about bonding again. There's something I need to do before I can agree to mating with you. I think we're compatible, and though it's sometimes cold, you always make up for me having my ass in the river when we have sex, making me feel so good and cherished. There's just… there's something I need you to do for me before we can finish the bond."

Though he knew it didn't work that way, it felt like everything was leading up to bonding, like it would be the final step in what was already started between them. "Anything," muttered Sam, a happy thrill sounding from the merman. Lifting himself, Gabriel looked into those hazel eyes of his lover. "I need to return to land; I need to know that this is still _this_ when I'm not on the island."

Heartbreak was the only way to describe what Gabriel saw in Sam's eyes. The merman looked like he had just lost everything, and Gabriel felt horrible for having to do that to him. "Sam, it's not like you think. I'm not leaving you. I need to make sure this isn't some Stockholm bullshit because I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you, but this is _forever,_ and I need to be certain that it isn't because of our situation."

When he leaned down for a kiss, for the first time Sam turned his head away. "I'm not leaving you, Samshine. I need a day or two with people, and then I'll go to whatever port you want me to, and we can make our way back here. Even if bonding isn't in the cards, I'll still meet you; we can still work something out." Sam didn't answer him right away, not that Gabriel was expecting him to.

"Samshine, look at me," pleaded Gabriel, thankful when those hazel eyes once again met his own. "It doesn't have to be soon, but eventually I need to, at the very least, tell my friends that I'm not dead, that I found someone and am moving away. I need to tell them something, Sam. I don't know how to make you believe me, but I'm not leaving you. I promise." Slowly the merman nodded, allowing Gabriel to kiss him softly for a moment.

"Sometimes," began Sam, his voice so small and cautious that it caused Gabriel's heart to ache. "Sometimes, I can find abandoned boats. Next time I could bring it to you and help you sail back? Just… even if you don't want me anymore, you need to tell me, Gabriel; you can't just leave and keep me waiting forever, I couldn't-"

Gabriel broke Sam's speech with a kiss, rolling so that he was straddling the merman, ignoring how the chill had made his legs numb. "Never," promised Gabriel, putting as much conviction in his voice as he could. "I would never leave you like that, Sam, never." They kissed for a while, though Gabriel felt like Sam was kissing him goodbye instead of the reassuring kisses and touches he tried to give his lover.

When he could no longer handle the cold, Gabriel slid off Sam who whimpered before composing himself. "I'll look for one now, the sooner we get this done, the better right?" There was still something off with the merman's tone, and though he couldn't stop Sam from swimming down the river, it caused a sinking feeling in his stomach. Standing, Gabriel waddled into the water, calling out for Sam to stop. They could wait. He didn't need to leave the merman right away, not with Sam looking like his universe was crashing around him. Gabriel didn't manage to get far before his feet were pulled out from under him making his head dunk under the water. Struggling, having not been able to gather much air before the fall, Gabriel opened his eyes and looked for the surface.

Kicking at something around his feet, the human pushed until his head broke for air, though he only had a minute to suck in a lungful of precious oxygen before he was pulled under. Hands gripped his ankles, tugging him quickly through the water at speeds Gabriel could never swim. Beside his face was a long brown tail, the fluke nearly hitting him more than once while it propelled them through the river. Tugging on the tail did nothing, neither did grabbing his attacker's the pelvic fins, and the longer he remained underwater, the more his lungs burned.

A merman had him and was dragging him to his death. Searching for his lover, Gabriel spotted his Samshine racing toward them, his beautiful features twisted in rage and worry. Regret filled Gabriel as the burning of his lungs became too painful to ignore. His last moments alive had been pushing his love away. He was going to die without Sam knowing how much he meant to him. Reaching a hand out, though it didn't do anything to help, Gabriel wished that he had kept his mouth shut, that he had let Sam know how precious he was. As his vision started to darken, Gabriel was at least thankful that the last thing he would see would be Sam's shining face. With a smile to his lover, Gabriel was consumed in darkness.


	10. Chapter 9

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 9**

The second Gabriel went under Sam didn't need to see to know who was dragging his lover away. With a frantic cry, Sam darted toward his father. He wasn't fast enough; John had surprised him, making Sam lose precious seconds while the older merman dragged Gabriel deeper into the water. Pushing himself as fast as possible, Sam tried to catch up, the estuary coming quick. Unable to slow down lest he lose Gabriel, Sam held his breath and hoped that it would help with the transition from fresh to saltwater.

It didn't.

With his head dizzy from the rush and Gabriel moving farther away, Sam wondered if he would be able to save the man from drowning by his father's hands. One thing was for sure. John Winchester was going to answer for his crime. Locking gazes with those golden eyes he loved so much, Sam watched as Gabriel blacked out, his lungs expelling what little air he had left as he lost consciousness. He was out of time. Thankfully a flash of green and blue rushed at John, knocking him out of his stride and making him lose his grip on Gabriel's ankle.

Sam didn't bother rushing to his father to fight, from the spear in Dean's hand and the blade in Bobby's, they had the other merman beat. Diving, Sam caught Gabriel's hand tugging the human toward him and pressing his mouth on the other's. Breathing in through his gills, Sam tried to force the air past his lips and into Gabriel's lungs while darting to the surface. There was no response, and because they were still underwater he didn't want to chance compressions on the other's chest.

"Gabriel, Gabriel, please baby open your eyes."

Small crystals fell from Sam's eyes, his tears forming the gems in the salt water while he cried for his lover. Trying again and again to breathe life into the human, Sam was just about to break the surface when something grabbed his tail and yanked him back down making him bite his lip hard enough to bleed. John was severely injured; the merman had his dorsal fin sliced open and was bleeding into the surrounding area. Sam wanted to defend his lover, to take John out once and for all, but he didn't have time.

His brother grabbed John and pulled him away from Sam, but by then too much time had passed. Gabriel wouldn't be able to breathe again. Trying one last time to force his own air into his lover's lungs, Sam prayed to anyone who would listen that it would work, that he could save his mate. Gabriel jerked. Sam heard the last cries of his father at the same moment that Gabriel's golden eyes opened and stared at him. Thinking his lover needed more air, Sam started to swim again to the surface, locking their lips together and breathing into the human's mouth.

Frantic hands gripped his hair, keeping Sam's lips locked on the blonds while they moved when suddenly Gabriel cried out in pain. Not understanding what was happening, Sam pressed his mouth to Gabriel's again, blowing as much air as he could into the other's lungs. As he tried to make his way to the surface, Sam was halted by someone grabbing his fluke and tugging down. Infuriated and scared, Sam turned to the culprit only to look into concerned blue eyes. "You gotta keep him under, Sam. You bled into his mouth, Son. There ain't no land left for him after that."

"That's a myth!"

Bobby shook his head and nodded toward the bottom of Gabriel's feet which were fusing together. "Never thought I would say this but it's a good thing your boy is naked, makes the transition easier." Gabriel continued to whimper and scream, his cries frightening any marine life away while his body changed. Sam held his lover against him, even though he knew there was nothing he could do to stop the process. Dean, who wore a grim expression, came to help Sam, guiding them to Sam's cave and away from the body of their father. John would be nothing more than seafoam in a few hours, and though Sam knew he should say goodbye to the merman who sired him, he couldn't, not when his mate needed him.

Bringing a crying Gabriel to his home, Sam laid the man down on his nest. The soft kelp and moss hopefully would help his comfort. Running his hand through Gabriel's hair, Sam remained beside his mate, watching Gabriel's body change from a man of land to one of the sea. Bobby stayed with him for a while, the older merman having a bit more medical knowledge than the rest of them in case something went wrong.

Now that he was looking, Sam could see the slits on the side of Gabriel's neck, the gills allowing him to breathe on his own. "What if he hates me?" whispered Sam. He didn't mean to speak with both Bobby and Dean in the room, but he couldn't help the fear from being voiced. Gabriel hadn't even wanted to stay on their island; he had wanted to go back to the humans, to visit his friends at the very least. Now he was stuck in the ocean with Sam.

"Dude, I wouldn't worry about it. That guy wasn't about to leave you, Sammy. I don't know what he might have said, but I talked to him. He was going to bond with you once he got his head out of his ass. This just means you guys can have a life here with him without him being stuck to that island."

Another scream from Gabriel and Sam was frantically trying to soothe the man. Gabriel's tail was forming his dorsal fin which was sensitive on a good day. For a second Sam thought Gabriel opened his eyes only for the man to reach out his now-clawed hand and grasp Sam's arm. Laying beside the blond, Sam tried to comfort him, running his hand along the man's chest and back, keeping his touches away from the new tail and gills as not to overstimulate them.

"You know when this is done, you're going to have to teach him everything like a sapling. He's not going to know how to function; and is going need you for a while. You think you're up for that? If not, we can move closer to one of the communities. I know your father liked his seclusion, but they may be able to help."

Shaking his head at Bobby's suggestion, Sam continued to soothe Gabriel, which seemed to be working as the man stopped screaming and was now clinging to Sam's chest. "No, I don't want anyone else around him right now until he feels ready."

Dean nodded with a smirk, "I bet you don't. You might want to keep him away from other merpeople for a while until you two bond. I've never seen that color of tail before; I mean golden? Really? He's going to be a hot topic, and I know a few people who would like to claim him as their own. You might have competition now."

Growling, Sam glared at his brother, but the second he made the sound Gabriel reacted, nuzzling along his throat and curling tighter against him. His mate was trying to calm him even though Gabriel himself was in pain. "I think we'll be fine until he wakes up, Dean. You don't need to be here." Getting a snort in response, Dean made his way to the cave entrance before Sam called out.

"De? Thank you. I know it would have been hard, but I couldn't let Gabriel die."

Dean sighed, the small bubbles escaping from his mouth. "I wouldn't have been able to do anything else; you don't need to thank me. Just try to be happy with your golden-boy, alright?" Not one for talking about emotional issues, Dean left the cave, darting around the corner and vanishing from sight. Bobby was the next to leave, patting Sam on the shoulder before mentioning that he would stick close by in case something went wrong.

Laying on his back with Gabriel resting on top of him, Sam tried to think of how he was going to explain this to his mate. Even if Gabriel never wanted to see him again, Sam knew he made the right choice. Petting his lover's hair, Sam waited for the other to wake up, their tails entwined.


	11. Chapter 10

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Chapter 10**

When Gabriel started to wake, Sam didn't know if he should have left the new merman as not to smother him, or if he should have held him tighter. In the end, it didn't matter. Gabriel went from asleep to awake far quicker than Sam could have moved, though it didn't stop the new merman from shrieking as he waved his arms around in the water. "Oh my God, I'm dead, aren't I? I'm underwater; I can feel it! Why can I feel the water? How am I breathing? What happened? I'm dead, right?"

Swimming to Gabriel who had backed himself into a corner, his tail curled around him, Sam reached out and took Gabriel's hands in his own. When those eyes, the same shade as his new tail looked at him Sam was lost. "I'm so sorry, Gabriel," the merman pleaded which only made Gabriel tilt his head to the side.

"Sorry for what? Last thing I remember I was being dragged down by someone, and you were trying to save me, which didn't happen, but I don't know what did. Could you please help me understand how I'm talking to you now? Am I haunting you?"

Sam cupped the blond's cheek, wanting to keep as much contact with him as he could while Gabriel was still receptive. "There wasn't enough time to get you to the surface. My father, he kept dragging me down whenever we got close, and you weren't taking in the air I was trying to give you. I guess I bit my lip when he pulled us down and when I tried to breathe into you again some of my blood transferred into your mouth. I didn't think anything of it; please believe that I didn't know anything like this would happen."

When Gabriel began to ask what Sam was talking about, the merman butted his tail against Gabriel's, making the blond look down. To his own tail. A scream echoed through the cave and Sam watched as Gabriel ran his hands over the new appendage, tugging on his side fins until he winced before letting go. When those golden eyes looked back to Sam, they were filled with such fear that the older merman didn't know what to do. Without thinking he wrapped his tail around Gabriel and pulled until the smaller man was curled around him, sitting on his pelvis while Sam held him.

"You made me a merman; I don't know if I can do this, Sam. Is there a way to change me back? Oh God, I don't even have a dick anymore, and you said mermaids have side fins! I'm not ready to change like this, Sam; please tell me you didn't make me a chick."

Shaking his head, Sam placed soft kisses along Gabriel's shoulder, careful not to touch the new gills that were pumping water harshly. "You still have a dick Gabriel, the same as I do. It won't show itself unless you're aroused and right now you're too panicked to even try getting it to reveal itself. And I may have stretched the truth a bit about the whole mermaid thing."

At the questioning sound Gabriel made, Sam continued to caress his lover, calming him softly. "Mermaids are exceptionally rare now. About two thousand years ago, they existed in larger numbers. Humans aren't there yet but all mermen can both sire and bear children. My mother was one of the last mermaids born. With mermen able to get pregnant we are far more common. Do you remember how I explained our anatomy?" It had been one of the nights Sam had spent with the man, explaining everything from his head to his fluke and what each part did.

"My pectoral fins are because I'm larger than average even for a merman; it helps me maneuver easier. Your tail, however, is a thing of beauty, and your side fins will make you faster. Even with your shorter tail you'll probably be able to out swim me once you get used to using it."

Gabriel didn't say anything for a bit, and Sam held him close. When the younger merman did speak his voice was soft, nearly a whisper. "There isn't a way to change me back, is there?" Holding Gabriel a bit tighter, Sam shook his head unable to voice the answer he knew his lover could feel. Instead of getting angry, Gabriel nodded, placing his head on Sam's chest and kissing the skin there. "It doesn't matter though, does it? I mean, I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. This just makes it easier. It's nice not freezing my balls off so that we can cuddle."

"Gabriel?" questioned Sam when the blond pulled him into a kiss, squirming for a bit before he was comfortable. Placing his hand where a human ass would be, Sam rubbed the smooth scales there while they kissed, earning a slight chuckle from the new merman.

"You gonna miss my ass, Samshine? Don't think I didn't notice how often you wanted to touch it, or fuck, the way you would eat me out was unbelievable."

There was a longing edge to Gabriel's voice, and though the merman didn't have the same flesh as before Sam was no less attracted to him. "And I plan on eating you out again and again. Sex is going to be a bit different, and I get that we might not be able to do everything that you used to, but I'm still going to make you come harder than you ever remember with anyone else."

Gabriel hummed, leaning up for another kiss. "And bonding?" asked the blond, pressing against Sam until the older merman laid down on the cave floor. Reaching up to tug Gabriel down on top of him, Sam waited for his lover to continue, his hands returning to the other's ass and palming the curve of his tail, his fingers lightly brushing the smaller man's dorsal fin. "Do you still want to bond with me as a merman instead of a human?"

Whimpering at the thought, Sam pulled Gabriel into a kiss, not wanting to rush anything with Gabriel's body being so new to them both, but needing to reassure his lover. "Always," murmured Sam against the other's lips. "I'll always want to be with you; I love you." Rubbing his cheek against Gabriel's for a second, Sam marveled at the smooth skin that met his. Mermen didn't produce facial hair until much later in life, and while Sam was expecting to start his own in the next couple decades Gabriel's face was smoother than the day he first spotted the human.

"Sam, when it doesn't hurt anymore… will you bond us? I need you to prove you still want me like this." He should have said no, should have explained that Gabriel had options now, that he would be well looked after by any merman. But he wasn't that strong.

"Yes," answered Sam, softly kissing along the other's cheek and neck, mindful of the gills which were now breathing for Gabriel at a more moderate pace. "We'll give it a few days first, get you used to the ocean a bit and then I plan on joining us together once you're ready. The bond will affect you now, Gabriel, just like it will me. Once we do this you won't be able to lay with another ever again, both your dick and your passage will be closed to anyone but me."

Gabriel pulled back, and though he feared the rejection, instead, Sam was met with determined golden eyes. "Good." Gabriel spoke before pulling Sam into another kiss, their tails joining together as they lay there exploring each other once again.


	12. Epilogue

**This has been edited by QueenOfHearts!**

 **Epilogue**

There were few things Sam enjoyed more than coming home to his family. It had been a long couple of days while he and Dean hunted with the colony. After Gabriel had grown accustomed to his new tail they had decided to move away from the island to where more of their people lived. Gabriel may have changed into a merman, but he was a social creature at heart and needed to interact with more than Sam, Dean, and Bobby. They had moved shortly after their bonding, and Sam couldn't help the proud flare in his chest that he had claimed the other merman. As expected there was more than one interested party until they sensed the bond. Gabriel never seemed to notice anyone else but Sam.

A happy thrill ran out from his cave, and soon Sam had his arms full, his saplings clambering for his attention the second they spotted him. Hoisting the two in his arms, his oldest, Charles, enthusiastically explained how Gabriel finally let him go and play with his friend without supervision while his younger son, Michael, glared at his older brother. Once Michael got his turn to speak, he was off like a rocket, going through everything that happened in the past few days from morning until night.

Slowly making his way inside the cave, Sam looked for his bond-mate who was leaning against the side of the entrance, his arms crossed over his chest while he smiled at Sam. That smile was well worth the long night away from his lover's arms. Putting the children down who swam off to entertain themselves, Sam pulled Gabriel into a kiss, pouring his love and longing into the action while he ran a hand to the curve of the younger merman's ass, earning a chuckle from the other.

"Have something to eat while I'll put the kids to bed; you look like you've had a rough couple of days."

Smiling, Sam nodded, though he kept Gabriel against him while he spoke. "I missed you. I hate going away for so long but there were some fishing boats, so we had to go a long way around." Gabriel stroked his hand along Sam's face, brushing a thumb along the stubble which had been starting to grow for the past few months. When Sam turned his head to take the thumb into his mouth, Gabriel pulled the hand away. "After the kids are asleep, we'll see if we can get you to relax."

Rubbing his finger along the dorsal fin of his lover, Sam trailed his hand to the very bottom, to press a finger against the softer scales of his lover's opening. Gabriel moaned before jerking away, his glare almost playful before settling the saplings and allowing Sam a chance to eat. Sam ate what he was given before turning in for the night and all but flopping onto their nest, waiting for his lover.

Gabriel stopped at the corner that led to their sleeping space. It was away from the saplings, Gabriel having retained some of his humanity not wanting their children to catch them mating, but Sam didn't mind the privacy. Reaching out, the older merman was soon holding his golden lover, mouths pressed together while hands roamed across skin and scales. "I missed you; the nest has been so empty without you in it."

It didn't take much, a twist of Gabriel's fluke against his own and Sam's cock was exposed. Reaching between them, Sam fingered the slit his lover's dick was hiding inside, coaxing the other to respond. With a loud moan, Gabriel's cock came forward, though he didn't have a chance to move before Sam wrapped the length in his palm. "Sam, please." It was always like this after leaving for a few days, and with a soft kiss, Sam rolled his lover to his side, facing away from him before shifting into position.

Unlike when Gabriel was a human, he didn't need to be prepared as a merman. Just like Sam had promised ages ago, when his dick was about to penetrate it created a thick lubricant with a slight numbing agent. They still enjoyed playing; Sam would spend hours at his lover's entrance with his tongue and fingers, but never when they were separated for longer than a few hours. Pressing the head of his cock inside his mate, Sam groaned at the sensation.

Gabriel pressed back quickly, setting the pace of their coupling from the very start. It was needy, fast; Sam's hand wrapped around his lover's dick. Jerking against the smaller man, the brunet placed kisses along the back of Gabriel's neck while fucking him harshly, the smaller merman crying out in release only minutes after they began. Once Gabriel found his pleasure, Sam could find his own, moaning while he pumped his release into the blond, his dick firmly lodged inside Gabriel for several minutes before retreating.

"I don't like you going away for so long. Can you bail out for a bit? We miss having you home, and I don't know when I'm about to pop… I would feel better if you're around when I do."

Placing his hand over his mate's swollen stomach, Sam nodded. He didn't like the thought of leaving his lover either, not so close to birth. "I'll talk to Bobby in the morning; I'm sure he won't have any problem with it." Gabriel gave a happy thrill before settling back and letting Sam cuddle against him. Before he drifted into slumber, Sam couldn't help but be thankful for his life now. It had been touch and go for a while, but when he saw the human clinging to his capsized canoe for dear life, he hadn't thought his world would change so drastically for the better. Each night he thanked every star for his blessings: his saplings, his beautiful mate, and a pod of playful orca.

 **P.S. If you want to keep up to date on my writing add me to Facebook, Tumbler, Twitter or Instagram as CrowNoYami ;-) Also, if you want to see what I'm reading (I always review so you know what you're getting into) I'm on Goodreads as well, the same name as always.**


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